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Historically, one of the best ways to fight the effects of inflation has been to utilize growth-oriented investments.

A sound cash management program uses a disciplined approach: accounting, analysis, allocation, and adjustment.

Before making investment decisions, it is helpful to determine the real rate of return on the investment.

Biweekly mortgage payments can have a dramatic effect on the amount of interest homeowners have to pay.

It's important to understand the options, such as financial aid grant programs, when having to pay for college.

The probate process can be lengthy and complex. There are strategies you can use to help avoid the probate process.

If you haven't taken steps already, consider planning now for the distribution of the assets of your estate.

A living trust can help control the distribution of your estate upon death.

To retain the tax advantages associated with charitable giving, your gift must be made to a qualified organization.

A designated income beneficiary could receive payment of a specified amount from a charitable remainder trust.

Careful estate planning is still one of the most important ways to manage and protect your assets for your heirs.

Charitable lead trusts are designed for people who would like to benefit a charity now rather than later.

A wealth replacement trust could be used to gift appreciated assets to a charity as well as provide for heirs.

Wills and trusts allow you to spell out how you would like your property distributed, but they also go beyond that.

Sole ownership, joint tenancy, tenancy in common, and community property have special benefits for property owners.

If you believe your estate will be subject to estate taxes, consider how your heirs will pay the bill.

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of different gifting strategies available for planned giving.

One estate planning strategy that families with closely held businesses could consider is the family limited partnership.

Understanding different types of investment risk can help investors manage their money more effectively.

Stock market indexes can be useful benchmarks for gauging the performance of an investment portfolio over time.

A bond is simply evidence of a debt from a government entity or a corporation and represents a long-term IOU.

Dollar-cost averaging involves investing a set amount of money on a regular basis, regardless of market conditions.

Bonds are issued by many entities and share many characteristics, each type of bond has certain benefits and risks.

If you start saving for retirement sooner, the more money you are likely to accumulate and possibly retire sooner.

The Social Security Administration’s retirement estimator gives estimates of your future benefits based on your actual Social Security earnings record.

If you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you might consider a traditional IRA.

When receiving money accumulated in your employer-sponsored retirement plan, you have two options: lump sum or annuity.

401(k) employer-sponsored retirement plans have many benefits, including that the funds accumulate tax-deferred.

Tax-deferred retirement plans for self-employed individuals have higher contribution limits than IRAs.

Qualified Roth IRA distributions in retirement are free of federal income tax and aren’t included in gross income.

Greater demand is being placed on the Social Security system as the baby boom generation has begun to retire.

Company-owned life insurance is one way to help protect a business from financial problems caused by the death of a key employee.

Some of the pros and cons of whole life insurance.

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for those persons age 65 and over. But what does it cover?

Term life insurance differs from permanent forms of life insurance in that it offers temporary protection.

Couples who want to help protect their legacy from estate taxes could consider last-survivor life insurance.

Consider a universal life insurance policy if you want the flexibility to change your premium or death benefit.

Variable life insurance gives you the control to allocate your account value among a variety of investment options.

Several factors could undermine the financial security provided by the proceeds of your life insurance policy.

To help you choose insurance wisely, determine how much coverage and what kind of policy is best for your situation.

The odds of needing long-term care increase as you age. Prior planning can help protect you from financial ruin.

A business owner policy is an insurance package that assembles the basic coverages required by a business owner in one bundle.

If you have a family who relies on your income, it is important to have life insurance protection.

While stable, CDs can create an income tax bill. Fixed annuities and municipal bonds can offer tax advantages.

It's important to understand tax-exempt vehicles when establishing a comprehensive tax planning strategy.

Consider a trustee-to-trustee transfer to an IRA versus a lump-sum distribution from a workplace retirement plan.

Changes to the tax code have left a few key deductions for itemizers, like medical, dental and some business expenses.